Kia India recently launched their first “recreational vehicle”, the Carens, and we have been pretty impressed with the car overall. It is a car we can easily recommend for a large family as it comes with a six or seven-seat configuration. Besides, the car’s performance is also impressive and paired with a long list of features. It is one of the best family cars to buy as of now.
As reviewers, we get to experience these new cars for a few days, and we can pretty much tell you everything about the car based on our driving experience of 500-600 odd kilometers. Now, a car can be impressive in terms of driving, performance, features, etc. what remains to be seen or experienced is the overall ownership experience and the aftersales service and support which play a significant role in this aspect. Of course, the Carens has not been around for a long time to give you a detailed long-term ownership review; however, what we can do for now is tell you about the first service experience of our long-term review car.
Well, we are in the digital age, and the Carens, too, is feature-rich when it comes to technology. Equipped with the Kia Connect app, we got a service alert notification on our phone telling us that the car was due for its first service. The process after that was so seamless that we could book an appointment within minutes. We availed Kia’s one of the most convenient service options – the ‘Advanced Pick and Drop Service’. We booked the service and the suitable time to pick the vehicle up the next morning, and in a few minutes, we received the driver’s details with proper ID to ensure utmost safety. The same driver from the service center came in appropriate attire with precautions like a face mask, face shield, and hand gloves at the scheduled time. After the vehicle inspection, he took charge of the vehicle and put the steering and gear knob cover (Please put other things we do under this scheme) before driving off. As I said earlier, Kia has taken many initiatives to ensure the safety of its customers’ vehicles. In this case, we received another message with a live tracking link that showed the driver’s current location and the route he was taking to the service center. However, we wanted to experience the service first-hand, so we chose to follow our Carens to the service center.
Once we reached the service center, we were welcomed by a professional service advisor, and I was surprised to see my name on the welcome board of the service center. It’s not a very big deal for us, but I can understand a customer’s feeling or, in better terms, the sense of achievement when he receives this kind of acknowledgment. Well! It was quite an experience and sure brought a smile to my face. Hoping to have the same smile throughout the service, I followed the service advisor, who promptly took me to the car and completed his service checklist through a tab. He even asked me whether there was anything specific that I would like them to address. There was nothing wrong with the car, so I asked him to carry on with the regular service and checks.
Adding to my already good welcome experience, the service advisor told me that the service would take just 90-minutes. The prompt response I received, topped by a short service duration, left me elated as I had come prepared to spend half the day at the workshop, which meant that I could leave early. (This is what my first thought was, “Woohoo! I can go home early and finish my Call of Duty game which has been pending for a long time.”) The service advisor completed all the formalities and guided me to the Customer Lounge, which viewed the workshop area where I could see the Carens getting serviced.
Besides the view of the workshop, you could indulge yourself in a TV show or catch up on the latest events on the news that is playing on the television. If you’re a reader, you could set yourself on one of the very comfortable couches and pick up the available newspaper or magazine. Well, for me, it was a nice hot cup of cappuccino and my laptop so that I could finish some work and get some free time at home (Psst…Call of Duty..remember). Overall, it’s a comfortable place to spend your 90-minutes while you wait for the car.
While working on my laptop, I got a chime on my phone notifying me of the completion of the service, and the car was ready to be collected. I met up with the service advisor, who explained all the service checks that were performed, fluids topped up, wheel balancing and alignment, etc. He handed over the keys to the spick and span Carens which I drove off with an even bigger smile.
Oh yes, the service was completed with 7 minutes to spare. Overall, the service was hassle-free, comfortable, transparent, and easy on the pocket. Kia India has paid a lot of attention to the after-sales service and support for their customers, which will surely go a long way for them to acquire new customers.
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